Ru and Fe Alloying on a Two‐Dimensional MXene Support for Enhanced Electrochemical Synthesis of Ammonia

Abstract

Compared with the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a promising approach for sustainable ammonia production. However, the design and development of electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity is currently a major challenge. In this work, we successfully constructed RuFe bimetallic nanoparticles on a two-dimensional MXene support (RuFe@MXene) through a simple liquid phase reduction method. Benefiting from the rich surface chemistry and high electronic conductivity of MXene, as well as the synergistic effect between RuFe bimetals, the composite can efficiently synthesize ammonia under environmental conditions. Specifically, the NH 3 yield and Faraday efficiency of the prepared Ru 0.3 Fe 0.7 @MXene composite catalyst reaches 40.79 μg h À 1 cm À 2 and 15.25 % at À 0.4 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KOH, which are significantly higher than that of the previously reported Ru@MXene. Moreover, the Ru 0.3 Fe 0.7 @MXene catalyst also exhibits outstanding electrochemical stability. The density of state (DOS) and the partial density of state (PDOS) of MXene, Fe@MXene, Ru@MXene, and RuFe@MXene were calculated by DFT to explore the synergistic effect of RuFe on the nitrogen reduction performance of MXene-based catalysts. This work guides the design of highperformance NRR electrocatalysts in the future.

Preparation of Ru-doped Cu-based catalysts for enhanced electrochemical ammonia synthesis from efficient electrocatalytic nitrate reduction

“…4,5 With the increase of world population and the continuous development of industry, the demand for NH 3 is also growing rapidly. 6,7 The current industrial synthesis of NH 3 relies heavily on the harsh, energy-intensive Haber–Bosch process, which is the primary method of artificial nitrogen fixation, making large-scale production of nitrogen fertilizer a reality. 8,9 However, it is necessary to face up to the fact that there are many problems in this process.…”

Solution-free synthesis of MXene composite hybrid nanostructures by rapid Joule heating

“…However, achieving homogeneous alloys with poly-elemental components on MXene surfaces has not been reported thus far, further complicating the synthesis of advanced MXene-based materials. 27,31–33…”

Ru/La2S3 nanorods as an electrocatalyst for efficient N2 fixation under ambient conditions

“…10 However, the high cost and scarcity of precious metals limit the large-scale application of this method. 11 Consequently, the recent focus has been on designing and developing catalysts comprising non-noble metals doped with a small amount of precious metals.…”